


IDW Issue 19 Rewrite (Crisis City Part One)

by RacheTanz



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics)
Genre: Other, also im not saying u cant like the orig issue i just wanted to Try, by gays for gays, i didnt like how they handled shadow lol, i havent written sonic in 4ever b nice 2 me-, slight rewrite of IDW iss 19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RacheTanz/pseuds/RacheTanz
Summary: I wanted to try and rewrite IDW issue 19, because I didn't entirely like the way they dealt with it, so I wanted to take a stab at it. I wrote this all in one day, and I hope it's actually enjoyable. Please keep in mind this is just my interpretation and I'm not doing this to bash the IDW writers themselves, it's just my preference.
Relationships: None
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	IDW Issue 19 Rewrite (Crisis City Part One)

**Author's Note:**

> im very very rusty at writing sonic fic i havent done so since i was like 17/18 so !!! be nice to me lol  
> there's a break in the middle because 3 or so pages i felt were written fine and i didnt want to actually like type them out or anything. im lazy so sue me  
> Teen and Up because there's Two Whole Swear Words in here so if youre like twelve but can handle a 'dammit' or two dw bout it i guess, it's no more intense than the original comics beside that  
> also ummmm they/them Omega rights

Shadow looked out over the chaos, eyes darting from one place to another to yet another, trying to assess the situation, but it was so much. So much was happening. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance—at the situation, at Doctor Robotnik, at Sonic for not believing him—and he hated it. He’d never wanted to be wrong more than he did right now. 

But that wasn’t important at the moment. Right now, he and Rouge and Omega needed to work together to keep people safe. Seeing the zombots and knowing they were just people, just citizens, made his heart ache. He couldn’t save them or help them right now, so he needed to focus on keeping the uninfected citizens safe.

Rouge stepped up beside him. “You ready?”

“Of course.” He turned to look at her.

“I’ll fly over and coordinate with the ground support. You just focus on finding transport for the survivors. Try to help anyone you find on the way, but don’t devote too much time to it. We’ll handle saving people, you have to find something for us to put them in. The ground support is organizing at the Grand Gold Flicky Hotel. You can’t miss the big fountain out front.” 

Shadow nodded. “Roger that.” 

“Be careful,” Rouge urged. 

“Relax,” Shadow responded, adjusting his cuffs. “I can’t get infected. I was built to withstand anything, and, as such, I and Omega are likely the best weapons we have.” 

Rouge crossed her arms, brow furrowing slightly. “... _Still.”_

He smiled slightly. “I know. You be careful too.” 

Rouge nodded. “Go get the transport.” She crouched down, then sprang off the roof, and he turned to go find the largest vehicle he could. 

Rouge soared over the city, scoping out the situation. Below them, Omega was hammering away at a line of zombots, keeping them at bay. She saw Sonic zip up behind them, and she called down to him. “Hey, Blue!” 

His head snapped up. “Rouge!” 

“Send everyone to the Grand Gold Flicky Hotel!” She shouted. “We’re organizing the survivors there!” 

Sonic nodded, flashing his signature thumbs-up. “Got it!” He then turned his attention back to the ground.

Rouge flew on, scanning most of the whole city before returning to the hotel to update them. She landed beside the officer in charge, who turned attentive eyes to her. “I saw another wave coming in from the east!” She pointed in the proper direction. “Get your officers to guard the rear so we don’t get surrounded!” 

The officer nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

Sonic skidded up behind her, and she twisted to look at him when he started speaking. “Since when did you start giving orders?” He smirked. 

She quipped back, “I can’t live comfortably in high society if there’s no civilization, now can I?” Rouge turned all the way around to face him, her tone growing serious again. “So. Three things; first, thanks for coming. Second,” she looked at the metal slowly spreading across him, “don’t touch me. And third… how are you doing?” 

“Meh,” Sonic looked at his hands and for once didn’t seem so cheery. “Running from crisis to crisis is keeping it in check, but every hit I give or take makes it worse.” 

Rouge frowned. “So… manageable?” She hazarded hopefully. 

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” His tone didn’t inspire comfort. 

She sighed, crossing her arms as she looked back at the city around them, the tipped cars forming the wall around the front door. “I can’t say the same for the city,” she responded a little despondently, “This is a sloppy assault, even for Eggman.” 

What Sonic said next was something Rouge hadn’t even thought of, but was definitely the worst news she’d gotten so far. “That’s because he’s not controlling them. He _can’t_.” 

She turned to look back at him and she couldn’t even be alarmed anymore. “Oh, well, isn’t that just _marvelous_ ,” she commented sarcastically. 

Sonic didn’t seem to want to dwell on it. “Where’s Shadow?” 

“Picking up a transport for the survivors.” 

“ _Really?_ I didn’t know he cared,” Sonic quipped. 

Rouge let it slide, though she really wanted to say, _if only you knew, Blue._ “Every person not infected is one less zombot to deal with,” she pointed out. 

Their conversation was interrupted by a scream for help, and they both whipped around to face the source. A man stretched his arm toward them, leaning over a tipped-over car but unable to fit in the gap between two of them. “They’re right behind us!” He shouted in a voice filled with panic and Sonic sprang into action. 

* * *

Shadow yanked the wheel to one side, slamming the brakes, and the truck slowly turned in that way cumbersome trucks always do. It felt almost like it would tip over for a moment, but luckily, it didn’t, just kicked up a lot of dust. He parked it and threw open the door to see Sonic, half-covered in metal goop—that in and of itself was alarming—coughing and flailing a hand to clear away the dust. 

He turned to Shadow with that cocky, everything-is-fine grin of his. “ _There_ you are! What’s the matter? Couldn’t find a bigger one?” 

The frustration boiled over for a moment. “Shut up.”

Regret flashed across Sonic’s face. “Easy. I was kidding.” 

Shadow sighed, forcing his temper to even out again. “If we had just taken care of Robotnik in the Windmill Village—”

“Hey, we couldn’t have seen _this_ coming,” Sonic rebutted. “He was fine until this guy named Starline showed up!” Shadow just shook his head. “Hey, _I’m_ dealing with this too!” Sonic extended one arm at Shadow, flailing it a little, the metallic sheen glinting in the yellowy sunlight. “I’m infected! _See?”_

Shadow grimaced uncomfortably. “I can see.” 

Sonic huffed, clearly frustrated too. And tired. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a while, but to Shadow’s surprise, he gave up on the argument. “I’m gonna go take care of my infection. Thanks for bringing the truck,” he said a little coldly. “Don’t let the zombots touch you. If it happens, though, you should be fast enough to run it off, like me.” With that, he jogged past Shadow. 

Shadow watched him go and felt a little bad for it. He didn’t want to antagonize Sonic, now wasn’t the time, but _dammit_ , he’d seen this coming from a mile off, and now everyone was suffering because they didn’t _listen_. Technically, Sonic getting infected was his just desserts, but Shadow hadn’t wanted that either. He sometimes wished he could have the same stubborn faith in others that Sonic always did, but it really didn't help them out at all this time, now, did it? He shook off the thought, resigning himself to just focusing on what was happening in the here and now. They all needed him focused.

Shadow approached Omega as the robot was firing on an advancing line of zombots. “Omega.” 

Omega didn’t turn to look, but acknowledged him. “Shadow.”

“Safeguard the truck while Rouge oversees the evacuation.” Shadow glanced past Omega for a moment. 

“Considering… Truck and refugees will be the zombots’ primary target. This will bring additional targets to me.” If Omega could nod, they would have. “Orders approved. What will you do?”

Shadow turned back. “Destroy Robotnik’s army. What else?” He sprang up to get a better view, then after a cursory glance began unleashing Chaos Bolts into the metallic horde. Unnervingly, it did little more than knock them over. It was like trying to stop a stream’s flow by throwing handfuls of dirt in it, but he didn’t relent, trying everything available to him to incapacitate any of the zombots. Nothing worked. He was starting to get a little frustrated, but at the very least, he was enough of an obstacle to keep them away from the truck and the civilians, for the most part.

He spin-dashed through a crowd, scattering them, and slammed his heel down on one in particular before backing up to reassess again. The one he’d smashed with his shoe was already re-forming back into proper shape in a quite frankly very disturbing manner. “Hmph. Resilient,” he observed, clenching his fists, “but so am I.” He crouched briefly before springing up, swinging one foot with his skates’ rockets blasting, whacking zombots in a ring around him. “The doctor’s metal virus _can’t_ infect the ultimate lifeform!” In his eyes, he was doing perfectly fine. He kept the zombots’ focus on him, throwing them to and fro with Black Tornadoes and Spin-Kicks. Nothing stopped them for long, but it was something, and he remained focused entirely on trying to figure out what, if anything, could actually stop them. It was after lifting one by the neck and throwing them into a crowd that he noticed something wasn’t quite right. He turned his palm towards him and felt his heart drop into his stomach as the world tilted on its axis.

A cold greenish greyish substance coated his palm. He shook his hand, certain for a moment that it was just a surface-level layer that bled off on him—maybe it was a good thing, maybe it was a sign he was getting through and the zombots were breaking down—but as he watched it creep up his arms he realized that wasn’t it. “That’s… _impossible_ …” he choked out, whipping his other arm in front of his face. Same situation. He took a half-pace back, like he could escape his own arms.

A voice above him snapped him back to the here-and-now. “Shadow! Run!” Rouge yelled from the top of the truck, heels clacking as she landed a little heavily. “We’ll hold things here!” 

Shadow looked around at the horde, clenching his hands into fists. No, he could handle this. If Sonic could run it off, he could doo, and it was only just his arms right now, as far as he could see. He could still fight. They still needed him. He had to keep a level head. “No!” He yelled back. “I’ll keep covering, it’s fine! There’s too many for me to leave now!”

But nothing was working. No matter how hard he hit or how many Chaos Bolts he lobbed they just kept coming, kept re-forming, never even slowed for very long. It was a losing battle and he knew it, but he couldn’t get out. 

Panic started to set in on top of the truck. Rouge whirled to look at Omega. “Omega! Give Shadow cover fire!” She yelled desperately. 

“Negative.” Omega responded flatly, “Targets advancing too rapidly. Sustained fire required to protect truck.” They weren’t able to push the wave back whatsoever, just hold them off. Rouge turned back around, desperately hoping Shadow would have run off. Below them, he was still tangled in the crowd, just barely a patch of darkness in the sea of metal, squirming masses. Rouge stepped up to the edge of the truck, having half a mind to swoop down to rescue him, but she knew it wouldn’t help. She saw him trying to scrabble up above the crowd, like he would use them as a surface to run off, but they kept dragging him back down, and she knew it was hopeless. She reached up to her earpiece. “Amy? This is Rouge—Do you copy? Send whoever you can to Sunset City, **now**. The situation just went from manageable,” she swallowed roughly as she watched her best friend disappear from view in a sea of zombots, “to disastrous.” 

Shadow, dragged down again, thrashed and clawed at the horde around him, a cold chill settling over his bones, not just from the metal virus but from the looming knowledge that everything was going to hell, panic dawning on him. _No no no no he_ **_couldn’t_ ** _get infected now, he couldn’t, he had to get out of there_ , he knew he would be such an immense danger were he to turn entirely. Metal arms wrapped around his torso and his neck, dragging him down, and he flailed, trying to rip them off, but he only had one usable arm now and it wasn’t doing much. He couldn’t use any more Chaos Energy and he couldn’t get away, and a terrifying sense of helplessness settled in as he tipped over backward, hand grasping upward in a final plea for salvation.

And then it all went dark. 


End file.
